Art Deco and Fashion: The Geometric Language of a Century

In the heart of Tokyo, the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum presents a journey through the history of fashion and design of the early twentieth century. The Art Deco and Fashion exhibition, created in collaboration with the Kyoto Costume Institute, traces the legacy of an aesthetic that reinvented the very idea of ​​modernity. The project is part of the celebrations for the centenary of the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, held in Paris in 1925, from which the Art Deco style takes its name. On display, around sixty dresses selected from the Kyoto Costume Institute collection highlight the transformation of women's clothing in the 1920s. The garments designed by designers such as Paul Poiret, Jeanne Lanvin and Coco Chanel embody the spirit of the era: a new vision of the body and freedom, made of soft cuts, fine materials, bright colors and decorative details that hark back to the geometric and linear vocabulary of Art Deco. Alongside the clothes, graphic works, prints and art objects from Japanese and international museum collections expand the story, placing fashion in a broader visual and cultural horizon. The exhibition thus explores a transversal dialogue that touches on applied arts, graphics and decoration, restoring the innovative energy of a movement that, despite having its roots in classicism, was able to respond to the desire for modernity of an entire generation. Art Deco was not just a taste, but a coherent aesthetic program that crossed architecture, everyday objects and, with particular force, women's fashion. The figure of the garçonne, independent and urban, reflects a profound change in society, while the dress becomes a symbol of affirmation and emancipation. Today, a century later, that vision continues to exert a strong influence on contemporary stylists and designers.